Uber launches St. Louis ride-sharing after filing suit

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Uber says it is launching its ride-hailing service in the St. Louis market and suing the city's taxicab regulators in federal court for having tried to block the competition.

Uber's antitrust lawsuit Friday comes the same day the regulatory St. Louis Metropolitan Taxicab Commission was to meet and possibly discuss amending its code to allow services such as Uber.

Uber and rival Lyft let people use smartphone apps to book and pay for a private car service. But traditional cab drivers have complained that such services dramatically have cut into their ability to earn a living.

San Francisco-based Uber's lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order allowing it to operate without any commission intrusion for two weeks.